How much do Paralegals and Legal Assistants make?
Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn a median annual salary of $62,890 in the United States, which works out to roughly $30.24 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $44,740 at the entry level and $101,500 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $50,340 and $80,080 a year.
That is $1,500 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary range by percentile
Half of all Paralegals and Legal Assistants earn between $50,340 and $80,080 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $44,740 | $21.51 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $50,340 | $24.20 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $62,890 | $30.24 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $80,080 | $38.50 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $101,500 | $48.80 |
Highest-paying states for Paralegals and Legal Assistants
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. District of Columbia leads the country for Paralegals and Legal Assistants pay at $89,750 a year, followed by Washington ($79,400) and Colorado ($78,190). At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest median at $46,180 — a gap of $43,570 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $89,750 | $43.15 | +43% |
| 2 | Washington | $79,400 | $38.17 | +26% |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,190 | $37.59 | +24% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,640 | $37.33 | +23% |
| 5 | California | $77,390 | $37.21 | +23% |
Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 51 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 393,000 people work as Paralegals and Legal Assistants in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $69,700 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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Related salaries
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